The Ministry of Social Development led a cross-agency and cross-sector research programme that looked at changes in the rate of sole parenthood, sole parent employment and poverty, and at sole parents’ mental health and criminal victimisation. It has also offered insights into approaches that help based on interviews with a group of young women who parented in their teens.
The experiences of these young women emphasise the importance of a supportive family and community, and of comprehensive early intervention services that address multiple and often complex needs for mothers and children. Some of the findings from this research are presented in the following reports.